TORONTO - Year-round meetings between York University’s faculty and students may be improving the atmosphere on campus during Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) but an alleged attempted assault by a student against Michael Coren indicates the path to peaceful dialogue is a long one.A bit?
Almost from the moment the author and television talk show host began his pro-Israel speech at the Keele campus, York student Jesse Zimmerman's loud, agitated grumbling could be heard from the back of the room. Zimmerman lost all composure after Coren said, "Do you really believe throughout their history the Jewish people have wanted to grab other countries, grab land, occupy, intervene? If you think that, you’re a filthy antisemite.... Again, if you really think Israelis really want to blockade Gaza, if you really think they want to have anything to do with Gaza, you, once again, are a filthy antisemite, because they don’t.”
Zimmerman stood up, gesticulated and yelled, then stomped down the stairs and stood at the microphone. He waved a book in the air, swore and said, “You just called me a filthy antisemite” several times and demanded to debate Coren until police led him out of the room.
Coren alleged on his blog that Zimmerman hid from police until Coren finished his speech and left the room, “then ran at me, screaming and yelling... (he) tried to grab me, swore at me, and abused me for around 10 minutes as I walked all the way through this large university.”
In 2009, Zimmerman was formally reprimanded by the university for his role in an incident in which Jewish students were forced to lock themselves inside a Hillel lounge to escape an anti-Zionist mob (see Jewish Tribune, Feb. 19 and May 26, 2009).
The Jewish Tribune emailed York University President Mamdouh Shoukri a number of questions about York’s approach to IAW and the alleged incident involving Zimmerman, especially in light of a letter Shoukri issued on March 3 about IAW, which stated, “While I encourage all in our community to speak freely and to participate in the meaningful, thoughtful and respectful testing of ideas, I must also remind you that at York we will not tolerate any actions or forms of speech that are, in any way, racist or that advocate violence or hatred. Any such comments or actions will be prosecuted to the full extent of the university’s powers. As always, our priority remains the safety and security of all our community members and guests.”
Wallace Pidgeon, associate director of media relations at York, insisted on conducting an interview over the phone, stating, “I will not respond to you in writing.” Pidgeon refused to say if the university will take any action against Zimmerman, saying only, “It’s a police matter.”
Coren spoke to the Tribune by telephone Monday morning. He said he informed police that he wanted to press charges against Zimmerman and intended to follow up with them later that day. “The man has to be charged.... He seems a bit unstable.”
Listen up, zany Z-man and all other Zion-loathers who don't think they qualify as "filthy antisemites" ('cause they're "humanitarians" frettin' 'bout oppression) as Stephen Harper explains the evolution (the mutation) of Judenhass:
The new antisemitism is a global threat. It targets the Jewish people by targeting Israel, which it depicts as a source of injustice and conflict in the world perversely using a language of human rights to do so.Exactly. That capsule analysis--the best I've yet read--should be printed on posters, T-shirts and mugs, and memorized so it can be employed as a handy retort whenever the "I-Don't-Hate-Jews-I-Only-Hate-Israeli-Injustice jackals don their "human rights" fleece.
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